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| MOTHERLAND PULSE | |
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| "Motherland
Pulse" is alto saxophonist Steve Coleman's first and long overdue album
as a leader. Steve first came to some public prominence in 1978, when
he was working with the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Orchestra. Prior to that
he had studied in Chicago (where he was born in 1956) at the College
Music Conservatory with Alvin Lawson, Jimmy Ellis and Robert Black. So
he had been well versed in the traditions of the saxophone in Black
Music as well as in European classical music when Thad Jones first
heard him in Chicago in 1977 and encouraged him to start out as a
professional musician. Steve felt that if he wanted to make it as a musician, he had go where generations of young jazz players had gone before him to check out what was happening. The following year saw him in New York as one of those highly promising young musicians trying to find their way in the music business and working for their more immediate needs as entertainers in the streets of "The Apple". Fortunately enough Thad's offer came along at the right time. Steve names Von Freeman and Bunky Green as his main sources of inspiration at that time. The confrontation with the masters of Black Music brought about a new orientation in Steve's musical activities. Writing became as important for him as playing. Henry Threadgill (“Air”) was a key factor in triggering off this new approach, Sam rivers was a point of reference; but it was mainly drummer Doug Hammond who gave the young talent his real chance to develop in his group. Steve recalls, “Doug’s band was the first I played in where I could do what I wanted to do. Doug’s an excellent composer, and he works very much along the same lines I do”. The ensuing collaboration with Dave Holland’s group is seen by Steve as a natural continuation of his work with Doug. In Doug Hammond’s band Steve’s playing was met with unanimous acclaim by European public and critics. He was also approached by producers who had ideas of their own about producing music with him. But Steve turned down these offers, because he had decided that if he was going to cut an album it would have to be completely his own thing––for which he wanted to feel ready all the way. It was Stefan Winter’s good luck that he proposed the present production to Steve at the right moment. Steve was organizing his own band, “The Five Elements”. But at the same time he wanted to do something with the people he had worked closely together with in the recent past, people who shared a regional background with him, and who had lived in the same neighborhood. He points out that the Chicago background of all the musicians involved, with the sole exception of New Yorker Graham Haynes (Roy’s son), is very important for this ensemble as a common denominator. “We have a specific rhythmic feeling that can be traced back via Mississippi down South to New Orleans”. Indeed, there is this variety of exciting Southern rhythms in every number. They are most predominant in the saxophone-drum duet of ANOTHER LEVEL, and the title tune where Marvin “Smitty” Smith’s work is reminiscent of that genius of a New Orleans born drummer, Ed Blackwell. This atmosphere of good neighborly feeling is also apparent in all the selections. The other soloist extensively featured is pianist Geri Allen. She is a young lady from Detroit and already has two excellent albums to her own name on the German “Minor Music” label. She has lived for quite some time in New York city, where she has absorbed the East coast tradition of Afro-American music. IRATE BLUES is a contemporary version of a typical bop blues with shrill, ringing parallels between the piano and saxophone lines. ANOTHER LEVEL is the aforementioned saxophone and drum duet, with an airy medium, rather light footed dance rhythm and that special Steve Coleman chant quality that lies somewhere between Marion Brown’s dry abstractness and Arthur Blythe’s sensual vitality. Steve used to play it in his days with Doug Hammond. CÜB DA-RITH is Steve’s freebop-type portrait of a city in his own science fictional imagination. WIGHTS WAITS FOR WEIGHTS has got another one of those tongue-in-cheek elephant rhythms. The arrangements has a sound coloration reminiscent of Duke Ellington’s “Jungle Period”. The solo-sequence uses a “rondo”-structure, underlining Steve’s idea that it takes time for the right “rhythm-time” to come up. NO GOOD TIME FAIRIES is unusual even in this context. Again there is a “rondo” element. The theme is sung by Cassandra Wilson. It is full of those exciting unusual intervals that Charles Mingus used in his works for a vocalist. The drummer here is Mark Johnson, who works with Steve in his regular group, “The Five Elements”, and who happened to know this particular piece. So on this album he was the natural choice for this number in this joint effort by friends. ON THIS is a classical ballad in the bop-tradition, and yet Steve’s improvisation is more thematical, in a way Monkish, than most boppers’ ballad playing. Geri Allen’s THE GLIDE WAS IN THE RIDE has a somewhat reggaeish rock feel, and her singing piano lines come off particularly well against this contrasting background. MOTHERLAND PULSE is an earthy number with a throbbing bass drum rhythm, and layers of counter rhythms over it. Bassist Lonnie Plaxico, a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, does some beautiful arco work on this, and his playing is a stronghold of fulbodied harmonic and rhythmic accuracy throughout the album. This number is a beautiful song dedicated to Africa. To all those who have waited for a record of Steve Coleman’s, presenting the composer and improviser in his own right, this album will be a revelation and a delight. -Thomas
Fitterling / Aparajita Koch
(ORIGINAL LINER NOTES)
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| STEVE
COLEMAN alto
saxophone GERI ALLEN piano LONNIE PLAXICO bass MARVIN "SMITTY" SMITH drums, percussion (except on NO GOOD TIME FAIRIES) GRAHAM HAYNES trumpet (on NO GOOD TIME FAIRIES and on IRATE BLUES) CASSANDRA WILSON vocals (on NO GOOD TIME FAIRIES) MARK JOHNSON drums (on NO GOOD TIME FAIRIES) ******* ANOTHER LEVEL is a duet by Steve Coleman and Marvin "Smitty" Smith. All compositions by Steve Coleman, except IRATE BLUES (by Jean-Paul Bourelly) & THE GLIDE IS IN THE RIDE (by Geri Allen). |
Recorded
March 1985 at Eras Studio, New York City Engineer: David Baker Mixed April 1985 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg Engineer: Carlos Albrecht Mastered (DMM) at Teldec, Berlin Photography: Scott Sternbach Cover Design: Christine Paxmann Produced by Stefan F. Winter |
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